The Adventure of the Speckled Band
Helen Stoner fears for her life after her sister's mysterious death in a locked room, her last words a whisper of a 'speckled band.' Holmes uncovers a sinister stepfather and a deadly scheme.
Doyle's own favourite among his stories, and the most frightening. A woman arrives at Baker Street before dawn with bruises on her wrist and a story about a whistle in the night; her stepfather turns up an hour later and bends a fireplace poker to make a point. It is a three-voice story — Helen Stoner afraid, Roylott furious, Holmes unmoved — and the contrast between them is the tension. Hearing Roylott in a voice that has never belonged to anyone else in the story does something a single reader has to work hard to imitate.
The voices that carry it
Dr Grimesby Roylott is the loudest presence in the Holmes catalogue and the easiest to overplay. He is cast heavy and controlled rather than shouted, so that the threat is in what he says he will do.
Chapter one plays without an account. Start listening to The Adventure of the Speckled Band.
Voice cast
4 characters plus the narrator, each with their own voice. All the voices of The Adventure of the Speckled Band.
- Sherlock Holmes — The world's only consulting detective. Razor-sharp analytical mind, cold precision, theatrical wit. Alternates between lethargy and explosive energy. Speaks in crisp, certain pronouncements.
- Dr. Watson — Holmes's loyal friend and biographer. A former army surgeon, warm, practical, earnest. Speaks with admiration for Holmes and genuine concern for clients.
- Helen Stoner — The terrified stepdaughter of Dr. Roylott in The Adventure of the Speckled Band. Controlled, brave despite her fear. Her twin sister died in mysterious circumstances; she fears she is next.
- Dr. Grimesby Roylott — The menacing stepfather and primary villain of The Speckled Band. Enormous, violent, with a hair-trigger temper. Bends iron pokers with his hands, keeps exotic animals, and does not tolerate interference.
Chapters
- Chapter VIII: The Adventure of the Speckled Band
About this recording
Is The Speckled Band suitable for someone new to Sherlock Holmes?
Yes, and it is often the story people remember. It is self-contained, under an hour, and needs no knowledge of the other cases — though it is more frightening than most, with a locked-room death at its centre.
How many voices are in this recording?
Five: the narrator, Holmes, Watson, Helen Stoner and Dr Roylott. It is one of the smallest casts in the catalogue, which suits a story where almost every scene is two or three people in a room.